2012 NFL Mock Draft: Top Prospects That Will Be Weeded out by Draft Process

There are always a couple top prospects who end up watching their stock plummet during the run up to the NFL Draft. Whether it's due to poor performances in workouts or being outshone by other players at the same position, steep falls are almost a guarantee over the next four months.

That's what the entire draft process is used to do—weed out those who don't belong among the top-15 picks. While simplistic measures like the 40-yard dash shouldn't hold as much weight as they do, most of the skills testing is actually useful in evaluating talent.

Without further ado, here are three highly-regarded potential draftees who won't rank as high in April as they do in most mock drafts right now. There is also a mock draft of the entire first round on the final slide.

Devon Still, DT, Penn State

There have been a bunch of defensive tackles taken with early picks in recent seasons, so it isn't a surprise to see Devon Still slowly creeping up big boards in recent weeks. He's the best prospect at the position and a lot of teams have a hole to fill in the middle of their defensive line.

That said, at this point he's starting to rise a little too far. He doesn't belong in the same class as Nick Fairley—who was selected with the 13th pick last season but has struggled with injuries—in terms of talent level or draft position.

He'd provide much better value around pick No. 20. That should still make him the first tackle off the board, just ahead of Fletcher Cox from Mississippi State, and would take away the perception that a team is reaching for him just to fill a need.

Current Projection: No. 13 to Seattle Seahawks

Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Michael Floyd has a lot of talent and will be a successful NFL player when it's all said and done. He'll fall victim to an extremely deep class of wide receivers, though, which will eventually cause him to slide a little bit.

Justin Blackmon is far and away the best WR prospect available, but after him there is a second group of players who will spend the entire offseason battling it out. It's a list that includes Alshon Jeffery, Kendall Wright, Mohamed Sanu and Floyd.

With so many impact players available at the position, teams with earlier picks could very well choose to fill other needs first while hoping one of those names falls to them early in the second round. Floyd would really need to impress during workouts to maintain his current spot for the entire winter.

Current Projection: No. 12 to Philadelphia Eagles

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

After Matt Barkley announced he was returning to USC for his senior season, there was a major shake-up in mock drafts. There are numerous teams looking for a fresh face at quarterback, so it became a battle to see which potential draftee would fill the void.

Landry Jones and Ryan Tannehill were the most common players to make big jumps. However, once the dust finally settles and teams take a better look at both quarterbacks, they will determine that neither is worthy of a top-10 selection.

Jones is probably the better overall talent and should come off the board first, but it would take an extraordinary effort to convince teams he should be taken before the late first or early second round.

A plausible scenario would see a team trading up to one of New England's picks to select him.

Current Projection: No. 8 to Miami Dolphins

Full First-Round Mock

Finally, here's the entire first-round mock draft for your viewing pleasure:

1. Indianapolis Colts (2-13): Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. St. Louis Rams (2-13): Matt Kalil, OT, USC

3. Minnesota Vikings (3-12): Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

6. Cleveland Browns (4-11): Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

7. Washington Redskins (5-10): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

8. Miami Dolphins (5-10): Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-9): Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

10. Carolina Panthers (6-9): Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

11. Buffalo Bills (6-9): Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

12. Philadelphia Eagles (7-8): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

13. Seattle Seahawks (7-8): Devon Still, DT, Penn State

14. San Diego Chargers (7-8): Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

15. Arizona Cardinals (7-8): Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

16. Chicago Bears (7-8): Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

17. Tennessee Titans (8-7): Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

18. Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK 8-7): Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

19. New York Jets (8-7): David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

20. Dallas Cowboys (8-7): Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

21. Detroit Lions (10-5): David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

22. Cincinnati Bengals (9-6): Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

23. Denver Broncos (8-7): Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

24. New York Giants (8-7): Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

25. Houston Texans (10-5): Mark Barron, S, Alabama

26. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4): Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

27. Cleveland Browns (via ATL 9-6): Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

28. New England Patriots (via NO 12-3): Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

29. Baltimore Ravens (11-4): Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

30. San Francisco 49ers (12-3): Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

31. New England Patriots (12-3): Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

32. Green Bay Packers (14-1): Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC